With the coming of the 2007 season came the demise of the District 9 Football League. For the Clearfield Bisons that meant a few of its long-time foes were off the schedule this year, including D9 rivals Bradford and DuBois. However, week two of the season will bring a very familiar opponent to the Bison Sports Complex on Friday night when the Brookville Blue Raiders come to town.
A former D9 opponent, the Blue Raiders enter the contest fresh off of a 29-20 defeat at the hands of Philipsburg-Osceola that saw as many things go right as they did wrong. Brookville had plenty of positives in its first game – a 104-yard, two touchdown performance from running back Joe Galbraith, a 159-yard passing, one touchdown game from quarterback Shane Heschke, and a well-executed fake punt. Unfortunately for Brookville that did not cancel out the negatives – six turnovers and eight penalties.
The Bisons, by contrast, did not turn the ball over in their 20-14 home-opening victory over Bald Eagle Area. Clearfield used an above average special teams performance and solid defensive effort to stymie the Eagles.
Clearfield may need more of the same this week. Brookville racked up 341 yards of total offense against the Mounties, indicating the Bisons could use a carbon copy of last week\’s winning formula. A solid game by punter Drew Hipps (7 punts, 37.1 avg.) and by last week\’s defensive stawarts Lee Zalno and Nick Redden will be welcomed against a well-balanced Blue Raider attack.
Not only did Brookville run for 182 yards last week, it threw the ball well also. Heshke completed seven passes, including a 64-yard scoring strike to Andrew Kerr.
Clearfield had comparable numbers on the ground, using a 95-yard effort by Isiah Morgan to tally 131 yards rushing. Quarterback Jarrin Campman also used his legs, recording nine carries, while Josh Rippey took one of his two carries into the end zone.
Campman was less successful through the air, though the Bisons junior did connect on four attempts to four different receivers. His longest completion came on an 11-yard strike to Nathan Greenland.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.